“How to Stunt NASCAR Growth 101” – Denny Hamlin Blasts Jeff Gordon Over “Too Controversial” Remarks

A few days ago, Jeff Gordon made some interesting comments regarding Denny Hamlin. The 4x Cup champion essentially deemed Hamlin’s antics as a distraction and being “too controversial, “ claiming he doesn’t want his drivers at Hendrick Motorsports to be like the #11 driver.

This didn’t sit well with Hamlin.

On the recent episode of his podcast show, Actions Detrimental, Hamlin not only blasted Gordon for his comments, but he also claimed that the NASCAR Hall of Famer isn’t helping the lack of star power or interesting personalities crisis in the sport.

Denny Hamlin didn’t take Jeff Gordon’s recent comments too kindly

During the podcast, Hamlin’s co-host Jared Allen brought up the subject of Gordon’s comments. Hamlin’s first reaction went along the lines of, “That sounds like a guy I don’t want to go to war with, like, ‘Hey I’ll go to war but you go up front.’”

“I mean, Jeff Gordon said that?”

However, Hamlin then became sourer and sourer as he elaborated, “That is how to stunt NASCAR growth 101, is say, ‘That’s too controversial for us. Call us stiff.’ But I’m wondering how has his sponsors marketed his drivers because I think his drivers have great personality.”

“He wants me to sit back? He thinks it’s a distraction if it was on his team. Well, thank God, I don’t drive for him. Has he even watched a race in the last 12 weeks?”

Hamlin wondered what the distraction is that Gordon is referring to as he called him out for contradicting his own statements from last year where Gordon had claimed he wanted drivers like Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott to further grow their brand off the track with the new age tools of social media, to go “outside their comfort zones.” 

“He’s basically saying, ‘I want them to be tidy, not controversial.’ I couldn’t disagree more,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver added.

Hamlin thinks Gordon’s comments could hurt NASCAR

Having expressed his disagreement with Jeff Gordon’s stance, Denny Hamlin emphatically added how glad he is to run for Joe Gibbs Racing and run his team 23XI Racing the way he does it. But Hamlin did add that Gordon’s opinion is his own and he has every right to have it.

Although Gordon’s opinion is one which in Hamlin’s opinion wouldn’t help NASCAR’s case.

“I certainly think that’s the absolute wrong way to go if you want star power in the sport. You’re not gonna find anybody who agrees with what he’s saying,” Hamlin argued as his co-host backed up this statement with the comment that many fans on social media seemed to be in disagreement with Jeff Gordon.